OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.NET
JANUARY 5, 2018
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
LIFESTYLE
NATIVITY ON DISPLAY St. Luke’s Church on 99th Street in Ocean City features Christmas Village and manger – Page 27
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Miller outlines a busy 2018 for city government Tackling vehicle events and big building projects ahead
STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
MORNING RUSH
With somewhere around eight inches of snow on the ground, more coming down and winds gusting up to 30 mph Thursday morning, Ocean City Public Works Department crews did all they could do to keep Coastal Highway passable. Blizzard-like conditions kept most people indoors and the highway (mostly) empty. It wasn’t so much the amount of snow as it was the lack of visibility because of the wind.
Kent, Oglesby named to bench Circuit court appointees to fill vacancies created by Groton, Bloxom retirements
By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (Jan. 5, 2018) State’s Attorney Beau Oglesby and Family Magistrate Mary M. “Peggy” Kent will replace retiring Worcester County Circuit Court Judges Thomas Groton III and Richard Bloxom, Gov. Larry Hogan announced last Thursday. Kent is the first woman to be appointed to a circuit court judgeship in Worcester County history. Oglesby has served as the State’s Attorney since 2011. Before taking office, the State Senate must confirm the appointees, and both
Beau Oglesby
“Peggy” Kent
Oglesby and Kent must run to retain the post in future elections. “After a careful and thorough vetting process, I am confident that Mary Kent and Beau Oglesby are the most qualified candidates to fill these vacancies,” Hogan said in a press release. “Their dedication to the practice of law and history of involvement in the Worcester community will serve them well in these
new positions.” Kent was appointed to fill Groton’s seat on the bench, and Oglesby was appointed to replace Bloxom. The governor reviewed five candidates from a pool of 10 for the two positions. Other applicants included Jeffrey Cropper, David Gaskill and Regan Smith. Kent and Oglesby had differing views on their respective appointments, as Kent sought a seat on the bench and had applied twice before, and Oglesby sees the appointment as a natural progression of his career. “I am honored — it’s a real privilege. This is one of those things that’s a culmination of years of hard work,” Kent said. Kent has served as a domestic relations and juvenile causes magistrate for See KENT Page 4
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Jan. 5, 2018) Addressing safety concerns, maintaining the resort’s image, boosting sports tourism, undertaking major construction projects and increasing revenues are the 2018 priorities for Ocean City government. City Manager Doug Miller said the focus remains the same: align Doug Miller the resort’s growth with its marketing as a successful Mid-Atlantic vacation destination. “We want to maintain and enhance the fact that we are a premier national resort,” he said. “To do that, we have to continue to do things we do well and address a couple of [issues] that is a challenge to our brand.” Among the top concerns of resort officials are the car and motorcycle shows such as Cruisin’ Ocean City, OC BikeFest and the unsanctioned H2O International, whose popularity and participation have reached a point where efforts to control them can be overwhelming. Resident concerns about heavy traffic and the noise these events generate became even greater last year after a cancelled H2Oi rally still drew thousands of cars and drivers apparently bent on tearing up Coastal Highway. “They started out, especially the Cruisin’ events, as a great deal for shoulder season for the town, but they’ve kind of evolved into something [else],” he said. “As with anything, a minority of the participants get out of hand and create a problem.” Hoping to reign in the car, truck and bike rallies, the city formed a 27member Motor Events Task Force, See FOCUS Page 5